“On not writing ourselves out of the picture…” : an interview with Stefan Herbrechter

Abstract

ANTAE: Do you think literature’s transposition from its traditional and tangible abode—that of the printed page—to the digital domain is a transposition whose consequences have been exaggerated? STEPHAN HERBRECHTER: There was huge debate and excitement about the question to what extent hypertext and electronic literature would determine the future of literature. It seems however that ‘traditional’ or ‘analog’ literature (i.e. books) will be here to stay for a while and continue to sell very well (even though more and more academic books and journals are moving towards a cheaper form of online distribution). Electronic reading devices like Kindle also have their place now but are unlikely to be able to replace the reading experience of a book. So, as a commodity, literature in the book format, or the book (whether in print or electronic form) as one ‘media platform’ of many others, will probably survive. The question is whether that’s good or bad news…